Info. Overload, Need help picking Glucometer

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Gladioli66

Member Since 2017
I have tried to figure out which glucometer to buy and am having difficulty choosing. I want one that uses a minimal amount of blood and the test strips suction up the blood when droplet is touched. Somewhere I found a Consumer Report on Glucometers 2016, but I have been unable to locate it again. I am frustrated and feel badly that I have not taken care of this already. HELP please.
Thanks,
Gladioli
 
First KUDOS for wanting to home test as that is the best tool we have in our arsenal to keep our fur kids safe and get them regulated. :D

If you are located in the US, many folks here use the Relion Micro or Confirm meters from Walmart. Both need the tiniest blood sample and the strips are very reasonably priced. If you are located elsewhere, let us know where you are and we can make recommendations for your location.

There is Consumer's Report info HERE but they only test a limited number of meters and there are others that work just fine.
 
Thanks MWMM(aka Linda),

I was all set to order the Relion Micro until I read the reviews on Walmart's website. There were numerous complaints about wildly inconsistent results, so then I was
unsure what to do. Perhaps I am overthinking this. I would do anything for my furry people, but no point is spending money on really expensive test strips if it is not necessary. One review complained about a 40 point difference when they checked the Relion at the same time as a blood draw at the vet's office. I suppose when I am certain Harley's BG is under better control I could consider using a more consistent monitor. As you can see, I am fretting about this and really need to move forward with something.

Gladioli
 
The review stating a 40 point difference between the Relion and vet reading is totally understandable and doesn't reflect on the accuracy of the meter. The vet's equipment is set up to read cat blood which is different from human blood. Vet or pet meter results will generally be higher than human meter readings. The difference is not linear or a % and there is no conversion between the two measures. The difference gets wider the higher the BG reading. All the documentation on this site is based on use of human meters (which have actually been used for cats/dogs longer than pet meters) unless otherwise stated so it's perfectly safe to use a human meter as long as you know what numbers to be wary of and what numbers you are aiming for.
 
Thanks for the info above, but I misspoke. There was a 40 point difference between the person's doctor's office blood draw and the meter reading, but again, maybe I am overthinking this whole thing. I need to do something now, not keep second guessing everything. At least my kitties were thrilled with the abrupt diet change to all canned food. They are both rescues and think anything edible is great. My high BG guy needs to lose weight, but I believe I'll wait on that battle until his BG is better controlled.
What do I need to buy to go along with this
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Micro-Blood-Glucose-Monitor/19276256#about-item
Not sure what comes with this monitor, if anything? My husband will be going out to try to find supplies this weekend.

What BG numbers am I hoping to find or where do I find this info.?


Thanks,
Gladioli
 
Most meters come with a limited supply of lancets, a lancing device, a limited number of test strips and along with the meter and a case. The lancets that come with most meters are 30-33 gauge which are tiny and can make it a bit more challenging to get a sample from our furry critters. We recommend getting alternate site lancets gauge 26 to 28 to make testing easier. And of course a supply of testing strips as you want to always keep a supply on hand just in case you ever need them for low BG situations.

It's helpful to put a thin skim of Vaseline or Polysporin Ointment (aka Neosporin) on the ear prior to testing to help make the blood bead up rather than spreading into the fur.

We also recommend ketone testing strips so you can check periodically for ketones. Oh and a spare meter battery just so you are always prepared!

I'm happy to hear your kitties are thrilled with the change to wet food. I have a kibble addict who has only recently decided wet food is edible so count yourself lucky your little ones are so co-operative! I wouldn't worry about weight loss at this point in time. Diabetic cats cannot use the food they eat efficiently so they are always hungry. Once you get your cat better regulated, then you can start reducing calories to get rid of the excess weight.

On a human meter, normal BG is 50-120. A non-diabetic cat may have a BG slightly lower than 50 but we use 50 as the minimum reading to ensure safety of our cats on insulin. At a reading of 50, we start taking some steps to bring BG up slightly to keep kitty safe.

Let us know if there is any other info/assistance we can offer. :D
 
Gladioli66 said:
Thanks for the info above, but I misspoke. There was a 40 point difference between the person's doctor's office blood draw and the meter reading, but again, maybe I am overthinking this whole thing. I need to do something now, not keep second guessing everything. At least my kitties were thrilled with the abrupt diet change to all canned food. They are both rescues and think anything edible is great. My high BG guy needs to lose weight, but I believe I'll wait on that battle until his BG is better controlled.
What do I need to buy to go along with this
https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Micro-Blood-Glucose-Monitor/19276256#about-item
Not sure what comes with this monitor, if anything? My husband will be going out to try to find supplies this weekend.

What BG numbers am I hoping to find or where do I find this info.?


Thanks,
Gladioli
Click to expand...
But at what range? All meters have a 20% variance. If that person's bg was say 200, the meters could read from 160-240.
 
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